Perfection
by Rameine
Summary: There was no such thing as perfection; Elsa knew that. All the cracks, the weaknesses—she could never escape those, only conceal them. And if someone ever found enough, that illusion would shatter. As for Jack, he'd never believed in perfection to begin with. Modern.
1. Introduction

I ended up completely rewriting chapter one, which I didn't anticipate doing, so I decided to repost even though I said there weren't going to be updates. Yeah, I lied. :(

These are similar to the notes I had at the beginning of the original chapter. It's just some of my thoughts about and hopes for this story, in case you're interested, since it'll probably be a while before you see any (real) updates. If you are interested, keep reading; if not, skip on to the story.

Originally I didn't want to post this as a separate chapter because FFN rules say that's a no-no, but I feel like a lot of people do it anyway. I guess if the site wants to come after me for not wanting to hog up tons of space in my chapter with these, that's their prerogative.

* * *

This began as a writing exercise for myself, just to get me back in the habit of writing because I haven't done any serious writing in so long. Consequently, there were/are a ton of issues both with the writing itself and the plot behind it. I posted it in the hopes of motivating myself thinking that people had actually read this and might want to see more, but then I forgot about the fact that you really only get reviews when you update and are on the first page or two of stories. So I guess I'm gonna have to write this for myself and hope I can keep going.

That being the case, I would love to have a beta to consult and bounce ideas off of, and so s/he can kick my ass into gear when I start dragging my feet. PM me if you're interested and we'll discuss.

I know the college AU is nothing new, but my goal with this is to write a more "mature" romance, for lack of a better word. Don't get me wrong—I've read a ton of college fics and really enjoyed several of them. I'm not writing this as a way to prove there's something wrong with any of the others. In fact, if you do enjoy those, you may very well not like mine, since I feel like my target audience is different. I will say, though, that I've made a conscious effort to make this as original as possible. I think there are enough college/high school AUs that it's inevitable people will find similarities, but I haven't used any ideas because I saw it in another story and liked it; and if I ever do, I will credit the author.

Actually, this didn't even begin life as a college fic. I originally wanted to write them as adults with careers and such, but the amount of research that would have required was not in proportion to my desire to use that idea. I'm a lazy author in that I don't want to do extensive amounts of research into specialized subjects just because, oh, that's what my main characters happen to be studying. This is my attempt at a compromise, since I am comfortable writing a university setting, if not the specific programs my characters are in.

This is not going to be a huge crossover. The only characters I borrow from a third film are Rapunzel and Eugene, but then they did make a cameo in _Frozen_. This is a small-scale story; I wanted it to feel more intimate with a limited cast. So if you like stories involving all those other characters as well, this might not be for you.

One thing I decided early on was that I wanted Elsa and Jack to start as casual friends rather than strangers or even enemies. I guess they're more than just acquaintances, even friendly ones, but I'd say they're friends that would never do things together unless it's in a group. The main thing I wanted was for them to have a longstanding history to build on, but also have plenty of room for their relationship to grow as they got to know one another better. I'd say the story is much more about how they fall in love, rather than what happens after they do. So if you need to see them hook up right away, this definitely isn't the story for you. That's not to say there's going to be a lack of Jelsa moments, though. I'm a big fan of unrequited sexual tension. My first OTP was (canonically) chock full of it. Whet my appetite at a very young age. ;)

If you read all of this, then you're my hero. I hope you'll enjoy it enough to keep me on your back burner. If you have any questions/comments, don't hesitate to PM me or ask in a review.


	2. Chapter 1: Business and Pleasure

**So****…**yeah, I lied in my last version of this chapter about not updating. I just got on this kick one day and rewrote the entire thing, so I thought I may as well try this one out on people and see what they thought. I think it's a better indication of what the rest of the story will be like, although this is by no means a final draft.

**And yes, I'm still calling it a teaser chapter. And you still shouldn't hold your breath for updates until I've written a lot more.  
**

******I apologize to all Business majors. My own were about as far removed from Business as it gets, so all I have is Google and my imagination. And suspension of disbelief. (Please?)**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Business and Pleasure**

"You're late."

Elsa dropped her purse on the chair and eyed the little bespectacled man who was seated behind the desk—the one her father used to occupy, when this had been his office.

They were at Arendelle's headquarters, in the office of the current Chairman and CEO, John Weselton, who had succeeded her father after his death. Elsa had been here often enough since then, and each time she hated it more. The warm green furnishings had been replaced by a harsh matte black; the landscape paintings had all been taken down, and in their place were framed copies of Weselton's degrees. Elsa was no longer invited here; she was summoned, like a teenager summoned to the principal's office. But she refused to let on how much it bothered her. She wouldn't give Weselton the satisfaction.

"Traffic was bad," she said coolly, ignoring the chair he waved at. Instead, she went to stand by the windows and looked down at the city below, decked out in Christmas colors even though it was just the beginning of December.

"The board of directors won't accept 'traffic' an as excuse for tardiness," Weselton replied curtly. "If you are serious about this company, Elsa, you would know that."

"I do, and since I'm here now, I think we should stop wasting time." She turned to face him, noting with satisfaction the tic that appeared whenever he was irritated but couldn't argue. "So? You said you wanted to talk about Anna."

"When was the last time you spoke with your sister?" Weselton asked.

Elsa's eyes narrowed slightly. He was up to something. "Not too long ago," she said.

"How long?"

She bit back a retort. Her father's voice whispered in her ear: _Conceal, don't feel._ "Is that important?" she asked calmly.

Weselton chose to ignore the question, which was answer enough. "I understand she's been out with one of the Southerland boys," he said. "They've actually moved in together, haven't they?"

She repressed a sigh. Of course the nosy little weasel would've gotten wind of that. "Yes, a few weeks ago," she said, trying avoid going into too much detail. Even if he was in charge of her family's company, he was not entitled to know all their personal business.

"Hm." Weselton adjusted his spectacles and put a hand to his chin. "It hasn't been that long since they started dating, if memory serves. They must really be in love, don't you think?"

Elsa made a noncommittal sound. She didn't know where Weselton was going with this, but she didn't like it already. He couldn't care less whether or not Anna was in love; he had never taken much interest in her at all, except as a way of manipulating Elsa's emotions.

And she had to admit it never failed to work at least somewhat. Like now—he'd known that bringing up Anna's moving in with Hans would rattle her. When Anna had called to tell her, the news had caught her completely off-guard, and in her shock she hadn't chosen her words very carefully. The conversation had ended with Anna hanging up on her and Elsa prepared to drive up and drag her home. They'd texted a few times after that—thankfully Anna wasn't one to hold grudges, and Elsa had tried to be less judgmental. Things were much better now, but the sisters' relationship was still a little strained.

"I couldn't say," Elsa answered, forcing her voice to remain neutral. "Anna always takes her relationships very seriously."

Again Weselton only said, "Hm," and drummed his fingers lightly on the desk. Finally, he cleared his throat, straightened in his chair, and gave a little nod, as if he'd come to a decision. "Elsa, I know you don't approve of him," he began, "and I understand your concern for your sister. But I think it would be for the best if you put that aside now."

Elsa's eyes narrowed. Was this why he'd called her here, to play Dr. Phil? "I appreciate your concern, but I think this is a private matter between Anna and myself."

"No, I'm afraid it isn't," Weselton said, a smirk creeping onto his face. Whatever trap he'd set, she'd just sprung it "As you know, SI has a very generous offer on the table, which I'm seriously considering. So you can understand why it's so important to keep good relations with Southerland." He tilted his chin up haughtily. "I'm sure you'll be able to put aside your personal feelings for the good of this company."

Elsa was torn between punching him and simply walking out of the room. He was sitting at _her father's_ desk with that smug little smile, knowing he had her right where he wanted her.

_Conceal, don't feel_, her father's voice said again. As he'd taught her when she was young, she took a deep breath and counted to five as she let it out, carefully shutting away her anger as she did so.

"I'll consider every opportunity Arendelle has to grow, but I have to do what I feel is right for the people around me. That was how my father ran this company, and I don't want to see that integrity sacrificed for financial reasons."

"I'm glad to hear it, but unfortunately that isn't your decision to make," Weselton said, his tone smug. "Whatever claims you may or may not have in the future, I'm currently the one in charge of Arendelle."

Elsa merely gazed back at him, meeting his stare unflinchingly. It galled Weselton, that poise, because both of them knew that the board of directors already treated her as if she had succeeded her father as the head of the company. Weselton had played second fiddle to him for years, and now that he held the executive titles, he found that he still came in behind a girl who wasn't even a thought in her parents' minds when he had begun his first business.

"I understand that," she said calmly, "but then I'll remind you that I don't work for you, and even if I did, your authority doesn't extend to my personal life, however you think it may affect Arendelle. I promise you that I'll keep the interests of this company in mind when I make any decisions, even if you don't like what those decisions are." Her steely tone was covered with a fine veneer of civility. "If there's nothing else, I have a lot of work to do now. I'll see you next Friday for the party," she added with a note of finality, closing the discussion herself. She didn't know whether or not Weselton had intended to say anything else, but she was in no mood to listen.

She shut the door carefully behind her, and none of the workers who passed noticed anything amiss. Many of them nodded to her or murmured greetings, and Elsa responded in kind; but underneath her thoughts were a maelstrom and she was seething.

In the relative privacy of the parking garage, Elsa did allow herself to slam the car door harder than was necessary. She threw her purse disgustedly on the passenger seat and glared at it, as if it was somehow responsible for Weselton's pompous attitude.

_Conceal, don't feel. Don't let it show._

With some effort, Elsa pulled herself together and took several deep breaths, closing her eyes until she felt relatively calm again.

She was just pulling out into traffic (which was still wall to wall) when her phone rang. She glanced at the readout on her steering wheel and saw it was Rae. Glad for the friendly distraction, Elsa punched the button to answer.

"So, how'd it go?" Rae said.

She let out a heavy sigh. "He was asking about Anna and her Prince Charming. He basically said I should make nice to him because Southerland's got some business deal on the table."

"Always sticking his exceptionally long nose where it doesn't belong," Rae said sympathetically.

Elsa gritted her teeth. "It's not just about the business deal," she said. "Weselton's trying to discredit me in front of the board. 'She can't separate her personal and professional lives. She'd let this deal slip through our fingers because she doesn't like the fact that one of the sons is dating her sister.'"

"Don't worry, the old guys all love you," Rae said reassuringly.

Elsa ran a hand lightly over her hair, which was still pinned up neatly. "They only like me because of Dad," she said. "If Weselton comes up with enough scenarios like this, it's not going to matter. I'm not actually in charge of anything—"

"Yet," Rae reminded her.

"—and they don't _have_ to listen to anything I say."

"Look, Weasel Town's never liked you; you know that. It never bothered them before."

"Yeah, sure, but that was when Dad was alive." Elsa sighed and brushed her bangs aside. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see what his next move will be."

"Speaking of which, have you talked to Anna at all lately?" Rae asked.

"She texted me last weekend. She wanted to know if she could use the cabin over winter break. I think she's going to take some friends skiing."

"So she's not coming home at all?"

Elsa sighed. "I'm not sure. Maybe for a few days. I think she'll be here for Christmas, at least, but I'm guessing she'll be with her friends most of the time. Just as well, I suppose. She'll have more fun with them, anyway."

"You should call her," Rae suggested. "Tell her you wanted to do something fun together while she's home, just the two of you. Ooh, you should have a spa day! You can go to that place you told me about, with the fish and everything. Anna would like that."

Elsa was silent. She and Anna didn't really do "fun" things together, at least not like they used to. She couldn't imagine going to a spa with her sister. The only reason she'd gone herself was because of that benefit. She'd had to give a speech, and she wanted a slightly more polished look than she could do at home.

Probably sensing that she wasn't going to get anywhere with this line of conversation, Rae switched gears. "Hey, what are you bringing to Jack's party tomorrow? I should've asked you this last week before I actually made my stuff, but whatever."

"I made up some of that chocolate chip dip you gave me the recipe for," Elsa said. "It's the only thing I could think of. I was running out of time, and I know Jack likes chocolate."

"Jack likes anything unhealthy," Rae said. "I guess it'll be okay; I baked some brownies. Double fudge."

"It's going to be like last year's party all over again," Elsa remarked. "Maybe I should bring something else, just so the man doesn't OD on chocolate."

"I'll hide the Red Bull this time," Rae promised. "As long as Eugene doesn't sneak some out on me, it should be fine. What time are you going? We can carpool," she offered.

"Thanks, but I'm leaving straight from school," Elsa said. "I've got a meeting with Valentino, so he can tell me how shallow my thesis is one more time."

"I have a good feeling about this one, though," Rae said confidently. "You're really close. I believe in you."

_At least one of us does,_ Elsa thought grimly. But she only said, "Thanks, I'll keep working at it."

"So see you tomorrow?" Rae said. "I want to hear all about the meeting with Valentino."

"Probably nothing new, but okay," Elsa said wryly. "See you tomorrow."

Back at her apartment, Elsa kicked her shoes off by the door and sighed in relief. She checked her watch and grimaced. It was getting late, and she still had a lot of work to do, plus fine-tuning her arguments for tomorrow, so she wouldn't sound like a babbling moron when he challenged her ideas. And her nerves were especially frayed by the meeting this afternoon. She sighed. Maybe she just needed a bath. That would probably take more time than she could spare, but she'd never get to sleep otherwise.

She poured a generous amount of her lavender bath salts in the water and went to set up some music while the tub filled. When it was ready, she undressed and repinned her hair to keep it dry.

The warm water and lavender scent soothed her. She closed her eyes and tried not to think of anything except the soft sound of a piano coming from the docking station on the counter. Easier said than done—Elsa's mind was always busy with one problem or another. Today it was Weselton.

Briefly, she wondered if it would actually be possible to get him fired for that scene in his office this afternoon. Probably not, but then again she'd known most of the directors her entire life. If she put up enough of a fuss, they might consider forced retirement.

Elsa shook her head. No, her father wouldn't be pleased with a petty strategy like that. And it would only serve to prove Weselton's point, that she couldn't put aside her personal life for the good of Arendelle. She had to find some way to prove that her concern for Anna had no effect on any business decisions.

Actually, it wasn't the fact that her sister was dating Hans Southerland that bothered her so much. She didn't know anything about him, but SI was a reputable company and her father had always respected Southerland, Sr. It was Anna's impetuousness that worried her. Anna was smart, but she was also overly trusting and a bit of a romantic. Elsa didn't think it was really a need to have a boyfriend so much as it was her infatuation with the idea of being in love.

She remembered Rae's suggestion that she write Anna. Elsa glanced at her cell phone where it lay on the edge of her desk. It couldn't hurt. The worst that could happen is Anna would ignore her, she supposed.

When she got out, although all she really wanted to do was go flop into bed and sleep, Elsa forced herself to sit back down at her desk. She had to do at least get her Psychology homework done and go over her proposal one more time. She picked up her phone and, after a brief hesitation, sent Anna a text.

_Hope you're doing well,_ she wrote. _When were you planning to get here? I thought maybe we could do something together while you're home._ After a pause, she added, _Tell Hans hello._

She worked well past two in the morning before finally giving in and climbing into bed. Before she settled in, Elsa picked up her phone to check her alarm and was surprised to see two messages from Anna that had come in about half an hour ago. With some trepidation, she opened the first.

_Sounds good. We need to get you out of the house more often. ;) I'll be there afternoon 12/20._

Her second one read: _P.S. Hans says hi back._

Elsa put her phone back and turned off the light. She'd have to remember to thank Rae tomorrow.

* * *

Jack lived in a small apartment complex about fifteen minutes away from the university. It was relatively quiet, mostly occupied by graduate students and young professionals. Elsa recognized Rae's and Eugene's Corolla with the chameleon plushie hanging from the rearview mirror.

She pressed the call button outside the main entrance. A moment later there was a crackling, and to her surprise Rae's voice answered.

"Hey, Elsa. Come on up." The door clicked, and Rae said, "See you in a minute."

Elsa arrived to find a very irritated Rae, who greeted her hurriedly and immediately returned to the couch, where Elsa saw Jack and Eugene seated side by side playing video games.

"I thought you said no more PS4 till exams were over," Rae said. "Can you two tear yourselves away long enough to at least say hi to Elsa?"

Jack took one hand off the controller long enough to wave over his shoulder.

"Hi," he called without turning around.

"So nice to see you, too," she answered wryly.

"What did you bring?" Eugene said, and received a smack over the head from Rae. "Ow! Geez, I was kidding, okay?"

"Sorry about them," Rae said as she joined Elsa in the kitchen. "I shouldn't have let them start to begin with. Eugene just feeds Jack's gaming addiction."

Elsa set her card on top of Rae's and Eugene's. She hadn't really known what to get him, so finally she'd settled for sticking in a gift card from his favorite game shop. "If you're worried I'm offended, I think I know better than that by now." Elsa glanced over her shoulder at where Jack and Eugene were back at their game. "They're men; they can't help it."

Rae wrinkled her nose, clearly unsatisfied with this argument. "Sometimes I don't know why I'm marrying him," she muttered. She picked up the box of graham sticks Elsa had brought for the dip and started laying them out on a plate, fanning them out attractively like the artist she was.

"C'est l'amour," Elsa replied. "Besides, you wouldn't want some perfect knight in shining armor, anyway. You always liked more adventure than that."

"Yeah, every day's an adventure with him," Rae said, but her irritated tone also had a touch of affection in it. "Oh my gosh, I totally forgot to ask! I'm sorry, I was too pissed off at Dumb and Dumber over there. How did your meeting with Valentino go?"

"About as well as I expected," Elsa said with a grimace. "Well, he did say I'm on the right track. But that's not really what I need to be hearing at this stage of the game."

Before Rae could answer, there was another buzz announcing someone was outside. This time it was Jack's sister, Olivia. When she had let her in, Rae stomped across the room and switched off the console.

"HEY!" they both exclaimed in unison.

Unfazed, Rae merely glared at them. "Jackson Frost, you get your ass off that couch _right now_ and at least pretend you're glad to see us. And _you_," she added, pointing at Eugene, "are not coming over here again until exams are finished."

Jack groaned and threw the controller down by the console. "Is she always like this?" he asked Eugene as he got up and stretched.

"Sorry, man, I kinda value my life right now," Eugene said, casting a wary look at Rae, who was still glowering at him.

Elsa heard the sound of footsteps in the hall, and when Jack opened the door, Olivia came in with her arms full. She had a small duffel thrown over one shoulder, and Elsa remembered that she had come up to spend the weekend with Jack.

"Happy birthday!" she said in a singsong voice, holding out a brightly colored bag. "No peeking," she added sternly.

Jack smoothly closed the bag up again. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Olivia bounced into the kitchen, beaming. "Rae! How are you?"

"At least someone was thinking healthy," Rae said, noticing the fruit tray in Olivia's hands. "Looks like going to have to do some creative juggling here," she said, surveying the countertop, already crowded with snacks. "Oh, that reminds me," she said to Elsa, "did you bring those magazines, by chance? I was just going to try and get started on my project this weekend, but I've got some that I saved, too, if you don't have them."

"They're in the car," Elsa said. "Should I get them now?"

"No, no, I'll get them when we leave," Rae said. "I don't want you to miss out on the fun."

Elsa merely smiled, not totally sure if Rae was joking or not.

"Uh, hi, Elsa," Olivia said nervously, fidgeting with her bracelets.

Elsa sighed mentally. Olivia had always looked half awed, half terrified whenever Elsa was around, as if she were afraid Elsa might bite her head off for committing some social faux pas. Jack thought it was hilarious and teased his sister mercilessly about it, which only made things worse.

"I think I'm going to go grab the magazines for you, Rae," Elsa said. "Before I forget."

Rae didn't protest. "Here," she said, holding out her keys. "Go ahead and put them in the backseat. I won't let them cut the cake without you." She winked.

Elsa gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks."

The wind had picked up, and the chilly winter day had grown even colder with the onset of evening. She didn't mind, though; the cool air felt good on her skin, and she leaned against the car, closing her eyes and lifting her face slightly. The sound of cars and people talking faded into the background, and everything was peaceful.

"Hey, did you get lost?"

Her reverie broken, Elsa opened her eyes to see Jack coming down the steps. He hopped off the last one and walked up to her.

"What're you doing out here all alone in the dark?" he asked. "Did we run you off?"

"Just needed some fresh air," she said.

He leaned on the car beside her, crossing his legs loosely at the ankles. "Sorry I didn't really say hi earlier," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Did Rae send you out here to apologize to me?"

"No." But he rubbed the back of his head a little sheepishly. "Okay, well, not exactly. I felt bad, though, after she chewed me out."

"Don't worry about it." Elsa waved off his apology. "I wasn't offended."

"So are you heading out already?" he asked, indicating her purse, which she'd picked up out of habit when she left the apartment.

Elsa shook her head. "I was just getting some stuff for Rae. But it's such a nice night, I had to take a minute to enjoy it."

"Hm, is that my cue to go?" he said. He was grinning, but she got the sense that he wasn't entirely joking.

"I don't mind you being here," she said. "But I would think leaving your guests in the middle of the party is just as bad as playing video games while they arrive."

"Ouch." He winced. "I prefer to think of it as being thoughtful to one of them. I mean, what kind of host would I be if I let you stand out here all by yourself in the cold?"

"The cold never really bothered me." She sighed and looked up, where the stars were starting to come out.

"Nah, me neither," he agreed. Elsa glanced over at him. He had his hands folded behind his head, looking upward as well. "You're right, it is nice out tonight. Maybe we should've cooked on the grill."

It took her a moment to realize he was joking; then she laughed. It actually surprised her a little—between Weselton and Valentino, and then worrying about Anna, she hadn't felt much like smiling lately, let alone laughing.

He pushed himself upright again. "Shall we?" He gestured at the door.

Before she could reply, her phone chirped, and she pulled it out to see a message from Anna. It was a picture of her and Hans. They were both smiling at the camera; he had his arm around her.

Elsa frowned. "What, is she just trying to prove to me the world didn't end because…" She broke off, her eyes widening.

"What? Is everything okay?"

She handed the keys to Jack. "Give these back to Rae," she said, her voice eerily calm. "I have to make a call." She turned away and added over her shoulder, "Happy birthday."

* * *

**Okay, this isn't really meant to be a cliffhanger, since I think we all know basically what comes next. It just turned out sort of cliffhanger-y when I finished, but even I'm not this lame at cliffhangers.****  
**

**Concrit is welcome, but please be more constructive than critical. So if you don't like something, tell me why and what you think I can do to improve. I'd also really appreciate it if you would avoid posting anonymously, in case I want to follow up with you if I have questions or want some clarification. I promise I will never attack you for not telling me my story is the best thing ev-ar! After I've shattered a few windows, I'm really quite reasonable when it comes to accepting criticism. ;)**

**Yeah, my nerves are just shot to hell over this story. How can something I love so much make me so goddamn miserable? Oh wait, that's going to be Elsa's question later on, isn't it? I guess I'll answer it for the both of us then…**


End file.
